Some breakfast inspiration

It's often been said breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

What you have for breakfast is certainly important in my view, but whether it's the most important meal of the day I'm not really sure. I do think that what ever you have for breakfast sets the tone of the day food wise, and if you are following the 'modified food intake plan' what you have for breakfast can impact your choices for the rest of the day.

My favourite breakfast 
(bit heavy on the pepper this morning)

I am a sucker for my bacon and egg breakfast and its my regular thing. I do, on occasion, have something else depending on my day, how I feel, or where I am, but most days because I'm me this is what I end up having simply because I like it.

I know it's not everyones idea of the perfect breakfast but it works for me. You, however, are another person intirely, and it's not essential that you follow my lead with the bacon and eggs. You need to find the breakfast solution (or variety of solutions) that works for you, and when you do… that's what you should have.

I'm going to give you a couple of my breakfast options. Some people like the same thing everyday, some like variety, even if it's variety within the same thing. The idea is to work out something that comes in under 30g of countable carbohydrate.

(Note that below 'g' means approximate grams of countable carbohydrates
under the 'modified food intake plan')

My bacon and egg breakfast (approx 20g)

The basics
a slice of wholemeal bread (15g) toasted
2 slices of reasonably lean shortcut bacon (0g) sizzled in non stick pan, no oil or butter
1 egg (0g) either poached or fried… I usually just put mine in with the bacon when its nearly ready.

I might add one or more of these
If I'm feeling creative, or just feel like a bit of a change, or have some stuff in the fridge that needs using up….!
1 big mushroom or some button mushrooms (0g) either sliced or whole
1 normal or some cherry tomatoes (0g) halved
some spring onion (0g) finely chopped
They would go in with the bacon for a bit of a sizzle

What I might then add
a thin spread of avocado (0g) if avocado is cheap enough
a sprinkling of grated cheese (5g) (½ serve) which I pretty much always have
(sometimes I might use ricotta, cottage or fetta cheese instead)
some leafy green (0g)

Usually I just sizzle the bacon in the non stick pan, when it's looking close to done, I crack in the egg, turn the heat to low and put the lid on the pan. I 'toast' the multigrain bread, sprinkle on some grated cheese. Layer the two short cut bacon and then the egg. Salt and pepper.

I have this with my cup of English Breakfast black tea in the morning and I feel like all is well with the world. And all this for approximately 20g of Carbohydrate.

But if you were paying attention you will have noticed that if I had added some or all of the mushroom, tomato and spring onion, the avocado and the leafy green, then the carbohydrate total is still much 20g. So if I was feeling a bit more peckish this morning I have room to satisfy that peckishness with out extra carbohydrates.

You could easily turn this list of ingredients into an omelette if thats what you prefer.

If you are a coffee lover, depending how much milk you have in your coffee… (no sugar) either half or whole serve of dairy for your milk, you would only be adding 5 or 10g of carbohydrate, so still under the 30g maximum.

Fruit salad and yoghurt (approx 25g)

1 serve fruit (2 x ½ serve)
approx 7 grapes and ½ banana
1 x 10g carb serve yoghurt

1 serve of fruit (15g) diced -  e.g.  ½ banana, ½ apple
1 serve of yoghurt (10g)

or alternately

1 serve fruit (15g)
½ serve yoghurt (5g)
½ serve muesli (8g) or other suitable cereal alternative.

Both these options come in under 30g of carbohydrate and again, you could justify a low milk coffee.

I often have this as an afternoon snack, or as desert in the evening with one serve of fruit and ½ serve yogurt.

Piece of Fruit. (15g)

Sometimes if I'm on the run I just grab a piece of fruit (15g), usually a banana for my morning carbs. This  works well for me if I'm off for an early morning ride.

Toast with vegemite or peanut paste (approx 15g)
(I never have this… just doesn't satisfy me)

1 slice of toast (15g) preferably multigrain
1 thin spread of butter or marg/butter and vegemite. (0g) from fats/spreads group

or

1 slice of toast  (15g)
modest spread of peanut paste (0g) from fats/spreads group

Yes you could do two slices but you really put pretty much all your fats/spreads options in one meal, and use up two of your three serves of 'sometimes carbs' at one sitting…. But if that's what works for you then give it ago.

Porridge (a nice winter breakfast)

I love a bowl of porridge on a cold winters morning. The size of my portion used to be probably twice what I would have now, but I still enjoy my porridge sometimes in winter.

I also used to have honey or stewed apple with my porridge but that just adds up to too many carbohydrates in one sitting now.

Uncle Tobys 'quick sachets' original flavour say they have 25.5g of carbohydrate per 34g serving with 125ml skim milk.

These sachets are a quick, convenient way to have a measured portion of porridge. You can however buy ordinary 'unportioned' porridge cheaper.

Normal porridge says 40g serve with ⅔ cup skim milk = 30g carb. If you adjust your serve size down to ⅔ you would have a slightly smaller serve for similar results to the 'quick sachets' without the extra expense. I do miss having honey or stewed apple with my porridge but it didn't take me long to adjust.

If I have the quick sachet option I count it as 1 serve 'sometimes carbs' and 1 serve dairy.

I know this is a fairly simplistic guide but I just wanted to give you an idea of what you can try for breakfast without you having to think too much about it at this point.

Another important point to remember is that this breakfast doesn't have to keep you going to lunchtime. You get to have a snack around 10am ish… either a piece of fruit, or some crackers with cold meat and cheese… as long as its not more than 15g of carb…..but we'll look at that another day.

Our coastal cycling treasure

Since I started cycling I have enjoyed a lot of riding around Perth. I am much more adventurous when riding with a group. But as a beginner I lacked confidence and needed to ride somewhere I felt safe.

I am very fortunate to live only 3km from the beach in our fair city. And once I had conquered that 3km ride I soon discovered that our coast has a lovely cycle path stretching from Fremantle to Burns Beach (up near Joondalup) on which I could enjoy safe 'on path' cycling with plenty of cafes and toilet blocks, and with a beautiful view.

Burns Beach Cafe - worth a 'killer hill' or two

This stretch is about 45km  in total, stretching from the cafe at Burns Beach to the cafe strip in Fremantle and beyond. So if you are lucky enough to live within an easy ride of this coastal cycling treasure you have the perfect inspiration to get you on your way to being bike fit.

But for most of us, the ride to this coastal path will be delightfully down hill…. which means that the ride back home from this coastal path could be torturously up hill even if it's not a long distance.

It's easy enough to work out your approximate distance to the coast from your starting point. Either use google maps or drive it and estimate. If your fitness level can already manage both to and from the coast then you already have access to any number of coastal 'goals' to work into your training program.

A Fremantle Cafe

But for those of you with out that good fortune, your big issue will be conquering that dreaded up hill that stands between you and your enjoyment of that coastal path.

Some tips to conquer 'the dreaded up hill'

When I say 'the dreaded up hill' I don't mean the up hill that you can manage okay. But each of us will have a hill, that stands between us and more fun on our bike, that we find a struggle. This is the hill I mean. The one that either gets you off your bike, or puts you off riding….or both.

First of all, if your distance from the coast is more than three kilometres might I suggest you look for something a little closer to home as your first milestone. Once you have built up your fitness and can cope with the distance to the coast, then turn your attention that way.

Secondly, don't feel the need to conquer 'the beach and back' it all at once. Most of us will have an uphill return from the beach to our home, as I certainly did. So its better to do it in stages. Feel free to only go part way to the beach and return till you gradually get your 'uphill legs' going.

When I say 'uphill legs'  I don't mean the ability to ride at top speed up the worst hill, I mean the ability to make it up a hill, using your easiest gear if necessary, whilst remaining on your bike and feeling a sense of achievement rather than total abject misery.

Hillarys Boat Harbour

Thirdly, there is no room for pride when getting started. So until your 'uphill legs' are run in, if you feel the need to get off and walk to the top of the hill it's okay. We all have to start somewhere on our fitness journey. I certainly did my share of walking…. but only to the top of the hill, or until that steep section eased off enough to let me get back on that bike.

Also, if there is a route you could take that allows you to bypass the worst of the dreaded uphill, take it. It might add an extra kilometre to your journey but make the ride a whole lot more achievable and enjoyable. You can always save that dreaded uphill for later in your fitness journey…. it will always be there!!

I found winding my way back through the streets, with little uphill sections in between, a more time consuming way to get back home but more manageable, and I gradually took on more and more of my 'dreaded up hill' till eventually I had it beaten.

Your suburb topography will dictate your options, and your legs will guide you to work out what is best for you.

When you feel ready to go all the way to the coast… and, essentially, back home again.

My best advice once you have gradually worked up to feeling ready to conquer 'the beach and back' milestone either in distance, or with your 'dreaded uphill', is to choose your day.

Midway on the coastal path
Scarborough Beach

If you are pressed for time you might be wise to choose another day because your challenge will be enough just to achieve the ride, without trying to achieve it under time pressure.

If there is a strong easterly, south easterly, or north easterly wind either blowing or expected, anything over about 15km/hr (you can check online at  http://www.bom.gov.au/wa/  - the Bureau of Meteorology) then I would suggest you save your milestone ride for another day. Riding back up the hill from the coast is enough of a challenge to start with, without a 25km/hr wind blowing at you as well.

If it is a really hot day, then try riding early (bearing in mind the wind) or late in the day (more likely to be a friendly westerly wind), to avoid the heat. Riding up hill in the heat can be very dehydrating and you might need everything you have to get you home. If this is not possible you might be wise to choose another day.

Once you do make your coastal run, my advice would be to do the 'beach and back' ride two or three times before adventuring too much further afield… tempting though it may be…. remember you still need your energy for the ride home.

The beautiful Cottesloe Beach

Once you have conquered the coastal homeward journey

Well all I can say at this point is 'yippee'… you're well on your way and you now have that wonderful coastal cycling treasure with all its glories accessible to you.

As you start to explore up and down the coast from your point of entry to this cycle path it's a good idea to add a kilometre or two at a time and to increase this as you feel comfortable.

It is also a very good idea to think in terms of wind direction and wind speed. I don't usually worry too much if the wind speed is forecast 15km/hr or less. If it's closer to 20km/hr its worth thinking about.

When I reach the coast I tend to choose to ride into the wind. This is because if I ride as far as I feel comfortable whilst battling this 'breeze' then I know I will more than likely will have this 'breeze' behind me for the return journey.

There is nothing worse than gaily riding along feeling like you could conquer the world and marvelling at your stamina to have ridden so much further than usual….. to then turn for home and realise you had a howling gale at your back for the journey out and now have to ride into that howling gale for the ride back.

Usually in Perth, if there is not much of a wind when you leave home, the only wind you might have to worry about is the 'Sea Breeze' or 'Fremantle Doctor' as it is affectionately called. This is usually a westerly or south westerly so you are generally reasonably safe if you head toward Fremantle on your outward journey.

The reward at the top end
 of the Mullaloo 'dreaded uphill'

The ultimate goal on your coastal adventure 

Your ultimate goal on your coastal adventure will be when you actually make it to 'Fremantle' or 'Burns Beach' depending on which is further from where you enter the coastal path.

In my experience the path towards Fremantle is less difficult, and more likely to have a tail wind on the return journey, than the path towards Burns Beach. It does have some uphills coming south towards Cottesloe.

Between Hillary's Boat Harbour and Mullaloo there is a 'significant uphill', and again about 2km from Mullaloo Beach there is a 'dreaded uphill' but one with a spectacular view from the lookout at the top.

There is 'a bit of a challenge uphill' at Ocean Reef Marina and then some 'killer uphills' closer to Burns Beach. These 'killer uphills' near Burns Beach are short and sharp and very walkable, with the cafe only about 200m away.

From Hillarys Boat Harbour south to Trigg Beach the path is often very busy with pedestrian traffic, but I find if I just slow down and relax it's a good opportunity to give my legs a break. That stretch is a bit undulating (not too tragic) but the view is breathtaking.

And from Scarborough to Fremantle its really rather pleasant unless battling a headwind. As long as that headwind is part of your outward journey just embrace it. If not…. gear down till you can manage comfortably and take your time.

You can google map your particular section of the coastal path and work out distances between different sections. Google has a cycle button for this section now. Try this link below, hover over the three dots next to the walking symbol (to bring up the cycling symbol) then press the cycling symbol. The blue line indicating the cycle path will show along with instructions. You can do your own exploring based on your particular section.
 https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/Burns+Beach+WA/Fremantle+WA

The serenity of Ocean Reef Marina

Your personal fitness journey

Now don't feel daunted if you feel this is way beyond you.  It was way beyond me when I first started as you will know if you have read my first blog 'Hello from Cycle Mumma'.

I never dreamt I could even do my 3km ride to the coast. And really, if you conquer even that first 3km you will already have achieved a significant fitness milestone.

This coastal cycling dream is for those of you who need such a dream to get you motivated to begin your fitness journey. It is also for those of you already on the way but looking for further inspiration to get to the next level of your fitness journey. But it is a 'dream' that is achievable over time with consistent effort.

Just remember that we all need to start somewhere, so give your self permission to start small and to take your journey towards fitness at your own pace…. one pedal at a time.

Perth City Bridges Ride - a picturesque and gentle 10km

Now anyone can get on a bike and ride of around the block. But that is not the ride that inspires everyone. For some, it takes something special to get them going.

The City of Perth from the South Perth foreshore 

If you are ready to load your bike on or in the car, or jump on the train for an enjoyable low key ride with lovely views, this one fits the bill.

It is the lovely ride that covers the Narrows Bridge, The Causeway (including Heirisson Island) and the South Perth and City foreshores.

It is a delightful ride and is only about 10kms. It's all pretty, it's all flat other than riding up onto the Narrows, and if you find that hard you can always walk up that short section. Or you can by pass the Narrows altogether by taking the ferry from just near the Bell Tower across to the South Perth Jetty. Just be aware that the Ferry only takes four bikes at a time.

This ride is all 'on path', with only a few low stress road crossings. One section is the detour around the Elizabeth Quay development. There are two road crossings there and in both cases you can cross safely at the traffic lights. There are two more road crossings on the South Perth side of the Narrows bridge (no lights) but I have never had trouble crossing there.

The Narrows Bridge from the city side

Other than that you cross some drive ways into some South Perth car parks, and one, maybe two driveways on the city side. But that is all. Nothing stressful. All other crossings are via underpasses. The only interruption to your river view is through the Elizabeth Quay development, and the underpasses that lead you over the Narrows Bridge on the city side.

There is plenty of parking at Burswood, on the city side of the Causeway, and along the South Perth foreshore, but check for time limits and parking fees…. we wouldn't want you to spoil your day with a parking fine.

It's probably best to let your parking dictate your starting point unless, of course, you are choosing to access this ride via train, in which case the handy option is the Esplanade Train Station. As you emerge from the train station you can easily see the river, and you can cross safely at traffic lights to reach the river.

There are a few nice playgrounds and picnic spots along the way, several toilet opportunities, plenty of seats to stop and enjoy the view or rest your legs. As well as options for coffee or lunch.

My two favourite are Sassy's on the Swan which is just near the Bell Tower, and Mill Point Book Cafe on Mill Point Road in South Perth.

Sassy's http://www.sassysontheswan.com.au is on the city side, right on the river (Causeway side of the Elizabeth Quay development) and has a lovely outlook. You cycle right past it.

The South Perth Ferry jetty

 Mill Point Book Cafe requires a slight detour up Douglas Ave (very quiet street) to Mill Point Road. The cafe is on the river side of Mill Point Road and is a lovely spot to nestle in their lovely secluded alfresco area, or amongst the books….. for either a coffee or a light meal. http://www.millpointbookcaffe.com.au. If you feel unsure go to google maps and search Mill Point Book Cafe. Once you know where it is its easy to find.

Both these lovely spots are about mid way along their respective sides of the river…. Sassy's on the city side, and Mill Point Book Cafe on the South Perth side. But there are lots of lovely spots just perfect for a 'bring your own' picnic.

The Perth City Bridges Ride is fairly straight forward to follow. If you go wrong you'll soon find your way. Just remember not to ride past either of the bridges and pretty much follow the river along the city and south Perth side and you can't go wrong.

I would advise you to choose a low wind day as the river foreshore gets no protection if it's too gusty or windy, and it's a good idea to take a bike lock for your bike if you plan to stop for a coffee or lunch.

Also, keep an eye out for the black swans just near Douglas Ave on the South Perth side in the little lake, or on the river in that area. It does my heart good every time I see them.

Happy cycling.

Starting an 'anytime food' revolution in your life

What I want to talk about today is how to start an 'anytime food' revolution in your life. Incase you haven't a clue what I'm talking about when I say 'anytime food', basically I am referring to a large group of vegetables that I eat without worrying about when and how much.

If you want to understand more about the basics of my 'modified food intake plan'…. my guide to healthier eating, feel free to refer back to Part 1 and Part 2 of It's not a diet. It's a modified food intake plan but for now here is a brief summary.

The short version is that I now look at foods in these categories...

• 'anytime food' (pretty much every vegetable not listed in 'sometimes carbs')
• 'sometime carbs' (the bread, pasta, rice, pastry, floury recipe foods, potato, corn, peas etc)
• 'fruit carbs'  (fresh fruit or fresh fruit juice) 
• 'dairy' (dairy products with less than 10% fat and under 10g carb per serving)
• 'protien' (meat in varying forms, preferably reasonably lean)
• 'fats and spreads'  (fairly self explanatory)

And to move forward with this healthier eating we can start to…

• Limit the 'sometimes carbs' to 3 serves a day (or at least less than what you are used to). 
• Limit your 'fruit carbs' to 3 serves a day (or if you never eat fruit, try to put at least 1 piece into your day)
• Limit your 'dairy' to appropriate dairy and under 3 serves per day (or at least less than what you are used to)
• Limit your 'fats and spreads'

But if you want long term success with this healthier eating lifestyle, you need to...

focus your energy on embracing the wonderful foods available 

in the 'anytime foods' group.

Pumpkin, carrot, parsnip, turnip, beetroot, cabbage, lettuce, leafy greens, leek, broccoli, spinach, cucumber, capsicum, sweet potato, zuchinni, tomato, spring onion, onion, mushroom, asparagus, bean sprouts, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, eggplant, celery, radish, sauerkraut, etc (pretty much every veg other than peas, corn, and potato)

These 'anytime foods' contain so much good stuff, and so little bad, and yet if you are honest with yourself, I bet you will have to admit that this group is the group you have most neglected when menu planning over the years. Certainly for me this was very much the reality.


I did not have fond memories of brussel sprouts as a child, nor cabbage, nor spinach… and to be honest, lettuce was not a high point for me back then either. Many of the other options available to us today were simply unheard of in the little Western Australian country town where I grew up.

These days we have a delightful array of wonderful vegetables to choose from that come to us reasonably fresh and in good regular supply. So even if your past experience with these foods hasn't necessarily been positive I would encourage you to challenge yourself afresh in this area.

I think if we can retrain ourselves to think of these foods as 'treats'

 our approach to healthy eating will be revolutionised.

When first learning to manage the limitations of this modified food intake plan this 'anytime food' group very quickly became my salvation…. the group I could count on to fill the gaps left by limiting what had traditionally been my 'easy' food options.

If you are wanting to make that shift to a healthier eating regime, these 'anytime foods' are the group you need to make your friend. I think if we can retrain ourselves to think of these foods as 'treats' our approach to healthy eating will be revolutionised.

Two main ways to bring these foods into your eating plan are raw (salads etc), and cooked (roasted, casseroled, stir fried, boiled, steamed etc). The trick is to pretty much use whatever works to get you enthusiastic about getting them into your body, with out lathering them in too much fat/spreads, and without wrapping them in too many 'sometime carbs'

It's worth getting to know the items on this list. Check them out at your local grocery, or vegetable store. Try looking up recipes that include them using websites such as http://www.taste.com.au and just start experimenting using techniques you already know, and new ideas that appeal to you. That's what I had to do, and I'm still making discoveries and bringing new ideas to the table.

I can tell you one thing for sure…..

there is no better time than now 

to start an 'anytime food' revolution in your life.

Confessions of a Monday 'night in' with the boys

Here I am, happily advocating healthy eating and prattling on about encouraging you to choose a healthier lifestyle, and I sat down for dinner (our evening meal) tonight and looked down at the meal before me.

I had to laugh… and I thought I would share it with you as I thought you would find it encouraging. I have inserted the picture, but incase its not clear enough for you, it is two reasonable (not too big, not too small) slices of pizza and a pile of salad. I think one slice is a 'Godfather' and the other slice 'Supreme'

2 slices of pizza with salad

Pizza is not ideal by any means when one is talking about a healthy eating plan. But of course you can't be rigid all the time. I would certainly not have pizza more than once a week…. preferably not more than once a fortnight, and even more preferable… once a month. If that.

However tonight my boys (read 'young men') have friends over, and when I invaded their space (the family room) to look at options for dinner, they informed me that they were ordering pizza and would we like to join them.

'We' being my husband and myself.  I'm no fool…. I thought hard about it for 10 seconds…. and agreed to pizza, gave them our portion of the cost, and said I'd make the salad. The salad part raised a few eyebrows, but they know what I'm like.

The pizza came with garlic bread and bottles of fizzy drink  neither of which I was interested in. So when the pizza arrived I loaded up my plate with salad and picked out two slices of pizza…. pointed out the salad to the boys, and then left the boys to their fun.

If I know in advance we are having pizza I save my 'sometime carb' portions… 1 serve per middling pizza slice, and one cheese serve per two slices (unless its super cheesy). I also try to choose a pizza with mostly protein, and veg from my 'anytime vegetable group' (the dietician recommended vegetarian from memory)….and then I just eat and enjoy.

Today I haven't really had my full quota of either cheese or 'sometimes carbs' so I'm doing okay. If I was overly concerned I could have just added a small can of tuna to my salad and perhaps two small slices of garlic bread (no pizza) which would have been a more moderate choice.  Or even 1 slice of pizza if I'd had a big day.

I washed it all down with a drink of water (rehydrating after my big ride today), and my trusty cup of black tea.

I hope you found this confession illuminating and that you can appreciate how one can work the 'modified food intake plan' in with the vagaries of real life.

And maybe the boys might eat some salad!!! You never know.

Some inspiration to start exercising - Walking?

If you feel ready to start an exercise routine then the next question is how and where do you start.

If you've read 'Getting Started on your bike" and rushed out to retrieve your bike from your back shed, brushed off the cobwebs, given it a bit of a lube….. and got on it and gone for a ride…. then good for you. That's officially a start!

If you thought it sounded like a nice idea, but haven't taken it any further, or, if you thought walking sounded more like your thing, and you've given it a bit of thought, but haven't got off that couch yet….
Well maybe you might find the inspiration you need below.

I will be talking more specifically about walking in this article, but if you like the idea of cycling or jogging you can apply similar principles to either of those.

Where do you live? 

East Perth 'Henry Lawson Walk'

Having some thing accessible locally makes regular exercise much easier. So think about where you live and what's near by.

I have a friend that walks on a path from her home which has a particular rock just next to it a bit of a distance from home. She likes to 'kick the rock' and then return home.

I love walking with nature. Along the beach or the river, through the bush or parkland…. that sort of thing. I'm not so big on suburban streets, and even less keen on the main road with all that traffic noise. So I often ride, drive or train to somewhere that I feel inspired to walk or have a ride.

But I do also like the simple approach of just pulling on the sneakers and setting off. So I have found myself a lovely route that takes me out of my home on foot, winds through the 'burbs' and finishes at a spot that has an 'inspirational' outlook (for me anyway).

You can find your own 'inspiration', whether accessible on foot or otherwise, to make into your own personal start up exercise route.

There are lots of lovely paths along the Swan River and the Canning River, and a fantastic path along our coast stretching from Burns Beach to South Fremantle. There are many lovely open spaces and parklands like Kings Park, Herdsman Lake, Lake Claremont, Lake Goollelal and Lake Joondalup, Canning River Regional Park, Bibra Lake, Carine Open Space…. not to mention the myriad other local parks and public open spaces in between.

Somewhere near you I'm sure there is a place that you might enjoy having a walk to, or a walk around. It may be accessible directly from your home or within a short ride, drive or train trip but it needs to be a place you can feel good about exercising in.

Where do you work?

South Perth foreshore - Ferry Jetty

Alternatively, you might find using your work as your base for exercise a more suitable option. This might be beneficial if you have somewhere inspiring for your start up routine that is handy to your work. It might also be helpful if your afterwork daylight hours are limited during the week…. particularly in winter.

If you have shower facilities at work, you might commute early to work and fit in a walk or jog before work. A toilet bag of necessities and a hairdryer kept at work could help simplify the amount of stuff you need to carry to and from work to make this a viable option.

If you have the time at lunchtime, this also might work.

However, if work doesn't have shower facilities… and many of them don't, you could try exercising after work and then head home for a shower.

Is there somewhere you can think of that sparks a little flutter of enthusiasm?

I hope that somewhere in there you have had an idea of something that might work for you. If so, work out a time that will suit for your first adventure. If now is good…. just do it. Slip into something walk comfortable, pull on your sneakers and go…. preferably with a small bottle of water.

If your ideal time to start is another time, i.e. Saturday morning (preferably this Saturday morning!), plan it. Prepare your comfy walking clothes, your sneakers and your small bottle of water. Put it in your calendar to make sure you don't forget, and 'intentionally' do it.

Lake Joondalup

How much, how far, how long?….. How often?

You will have some idea of your fitness level based on what level of activity you have been engaging in of recent times. 30 minutes is not a bad place to start, not a bad goal to aim for. But if you are very unfit, 15 minutes might be more suitable. Or you could go straight for the 45minutes.

Either way, it doesn't really matter. What matters is actually getting out and doing it.

Setting your goal as a time rather than a distance will help you plan your exercise routine within a certain time frame. I used my phone alarm to guide me. I would set my phone alarm for half the time I intended to walk. So for example for a 30 minute I would set the alarm for 15 minutes. I would then walk till the alarm went off, then turn and retrace my steps to the starting point to complete my 30 minute walk.

I found this worked well for me. Alternately if you have a circuit you wish to do, rather than setting an alarm, set the timer when you start to see how long it took you. If you don't have a phone, just use your watch and keep a check on the time. If you find it too far, at least you will now have a general idea of what time frame you are looking at so you can adjust your plan.

Bear in mind that if you set your self 8 minutes (for 15 minutes walk) and you're feeling good you can always push yourself another five minutes or more until you are ready to retrace your steps. If you set your self 23 minutes (for a 45minute walk) and after 10 minutes you're absolutely stuffed…. have a rest, then walk home. At least you will know that 10 minutes (20 minute walk) might be a more appropriate start for you.

Mullaloo Beach

Don't be discouraged if you have to trim back your initial goal. what ever you end up settling on… lets say its 10 minutes…. after a while you'll do that 10 minutes and find yourself thinking 'I could go further'… so add some more. Further, faster, and even harder if you can incorporate some inclines (or extra inclines).

A brisk walk for half an hour takes me about 3km. If I then turn around and walk back that's a good hours exercise, or a good 6km walk. If your walking is more sedentary you won't get that far, but to start with that doesn't matter. Again, what matters is starting.

As for how often. What will fit sustainably into your week. Starting modest is not a bad idea. You can always build on it. But it's a good idea to preplan your time … if you wait to see how you feel in the morning, I can pretty much guarantee bed will be more attractive, especially in winter. But if you have a plan you are more likely to stick to it.

Company? 

There are a lot of people out there just as keen as you, but just as unmotivated, or afraid, or just plain finding it too hard to get started. If you think company would be nice, ask around. You may find yourself inspiring others to make a positive change in their lives and suddenly have the comfort of walking buddies to help you along your journey.

But don't limit yourself. This is your life, your health journey, and if you use the lack of company to put off something so important for you…… it's you that will ultimately miss out.

So introduce a little exercise to your life!

All that remains is for you to slip into something 'walk' comfortable, pull on your sneakers and GO. It doesn't matter if it doesn't immediately gel, or if you decide your idea of location wasn't as good in real life as it felt in exercise fantasy land, what matters is that you give something a try. And if it at first it doesn't rock your world, try the next idea.

Just get out there. Grab life by the sneakers and go for it.

Part 2 - It's not a diet - It's a modified food intake plan

As promised… Part 2

For those of you who didn't make it through Part 1, or found it a bit much… don't worry. We are all different. Some understanding of that stuff really helped me, but that doesn't mean it's for everyone.

Also bear in mind that all our bodies… and our body issues are different. What works for me may not work at all for you, some of you may have allergy issues or food intolerances which may preclude this from working for you.

However, I think the general principals are good, and even if you lean somewhat toward the healthier eating plan as it works for you I'm sure it will do you good. Just as leaning someway into an exercise plan will do you good.

What I'm saying is, it's not all or nothing. Don't despair if it all feels a bit much or feels just too darn hard. Take something on board and work with that.

What I began to call 'bad carbs' but are really just 'sometime carbs'. 
(3 serves of 15g of Carbohydrate) 

This is the area that I found the most challenging. My previous meal plan included a lot of bread, pasta, rice, and potato, peas and corn, and all these items fitted into this list. So when the dietitian's advice was to limit my intake from this group to 3 serves per day I knew I was going to have to vastly modify my food intake plan.

These foods are not necessarily unhealthy. I thought they were good foods cause they weren't high in fat or 'sugar'.  What I didn't understand was their carbohydrate content. And as my dietitian pointed out, as carbohydrate breaks down to its basic elements, its pretty much sugar as far as the body dealing with it is concerned.

This list also included breakfast cereals, crackers and crisp breads, potato chips, that sort of thing which weren't so much a big part of my daily food, though they floated around the periphery.

I had no particular love for pasta, rice, peas and corn, or potato. But I love my bread.  1 slice (not a fat slice) of bread equals 1 serve. So I resolved to basically eliminate pasta, rice, peas and corn, and potato, so that I could use those three serves for bread.

If it were you choosing, the resulting choices would more than likely be different.

The shocking inclusion of fruit. (3 serves of 15g of Carbohydrate)

I pretty much never ate fruit. Fruit is sugar, after all, and sugar is bad for you… or at least that was my thinking. But my dietitian allowed three serves of fruit. This felt revolutionary to me. Apparently fruit contains a lot of good stuff, and as far as sugar goes fruit is the good option.

One serve being one Apple, or Orange, or Pear, or Peach, or small Banana, or Nectarine, or 2 Apricots, or 2 Kiwi Fruit, or 2 Mandarins, or 2 small Plums, or 90 grams of Grapes, or 150grams of Strawberries,  or 1/4 small rockmellon, or one of my personal favourites to save me from Christmas temptation... 20 Cherries,

(these serves are approximately 15grams of carbohydrate so with a little research you could find out what 1 serve is for your particular fruit preference)

I loved having the freedom to eat three serves of fruit per day. I loved having 'permission' to eat it. I eat my three pieces of fruit most days. Its a pre packaged easy snack and its yummy.

And then there's all that fattening Dairy. (3 serves of 10g of carbohydrate)

I had been thinking of dairy as fat. And we all know that fat is the big bad bogey man in our diet. So I rarely had any dairy…. except for cheese. I loved my cheese (a bit like my bread) so I had pretty much been sacrificing all other dairy options…. and all this for many years.

When I was allowed three serves of dairy (each containing 10grams of Carbohydrate) I was quite shocked that I was being given permission to eat dairy.

Of course I had been eating far more than my allowance of three serves per day. This meant that I actually struggled with cutting back on the hard cheese. However at the same time I did enjoy eating some yoghurt, some fetta, and some hard cheese (portion appropriate) without feeling guilty all the time.

It would seem that whilst too much fat is not the best, its not so bad that we should strip it from everything and to make up for the lack of taste, substitute sugar, or worse… artificial sugar, in its place.

Ricotta and Cottage Cheese are also good options to include in your three serves of dairy. I have also discovered frozen yoghurt is a nice substitute for ice-cream.

Whatever your dairy preferences are, check your labels and find a happy balance between fat content and carbohydrate content. My dietitian suggested that if the product contained more than 10% fat, it was probably a good one to skip or put in the below 'fat' category.

The fat food group had its own category. (5 portions - minimal carbs)

This group under 'fat' included
       butter and oil - 1 teaspoon
       margarine and peanut paste - 2 teaspoons
       mayonnaise, dressings, avocado - 1 tablespoon
       …. and olives (three in a serve)

You will have to make your own choices here. I use a bit of oil in my cooking, and occasionally with lemon and salt and pepper for salad dressing. I've also learned to like a little avocado spread on my toast or cracker under my cheese and tomato. You might like yours as butter and mayonnaise/dressing. And I love my olives.

Protien foods limited to 6 serves  (not counted as carbohydrates)

Protien is like free food but limited none the less. From a diabetic point of view I figured this was a good place to cheat a little. But too much meat is not a good option either. So as part of an overall healthy eating plan the serves for me were initially limited to 6.

1 egg is one serve of protein
A 30g portion of lean meat (lamb, beef, pork, chicken, turkey, duck)
(a modest piece of steak is about 90g - quite sufficient)
30g salmon, herring, sardines, kippers
60g white fish, tuna, crab, crayfish or 5 small oysters
Cold meat such as ham, Silverside etc
30g cooked liver or kidney

Then there is my favourite ….  a whole group that you can eat as much as you like ….  the 'anytime vegetable group' ... no limits, no carb counting.

These foods are not necessarily carbohydrate free, but it seems the good things in them were worth any carbs they might represent. And remember… this is not a 'no carb' eating plan.

This group consists of pretty much every veg not already mentioned.
Pumpkin, carrot, parsnip, turnip, beetroot, cabbage, lettuce, leafy greens, broccoli, spinach, cucumber, capsicum, sweet potato, zucchini, tomato, spring onion, onion, leek, celery, asparagus, bean sprouts, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, eggplant, leafy greens and lettuce, radish, sauerkraut,  etc etc etc

You can do a lot with that collection to well and truly fill any gaps left in your 'food intake' by the restrictions of all the previous groups.

So that's the guts of it (pardon the pun). I feel like I've said too much and yet there is so much more to say. Perhaps a 'Part 3' covering actually converting this collection into a workable routine. For me it was about working out what I could live without, working out what I couldn't live without and creating some kind of balance in-between. And that is a very personal thing.

Making the change to healthier living - is it worth it?

Hello Again

It's not always easy trying to eat healthier and exercise.

I've been trying to write more about how my food habits had to change to avoid being Type 2 Diabetic. And its been heavy going.

If you've read 'It's not a diet it's a modified food intake plan - Part 1'…. or possibly 'not read it' cause it's too heavy going… you'll know what I mean. It's not super easy. It's not a fun read. And changing your food habits won't necessarily be easy or 'fun' either.

I remember getting all that blurb from the dietitian and wondering how the hell I was going to manage it all. The info about Type 2 Diabetes read like gobbledygook, and that 45 minutes a day seemed like Mt Everest to me…. impossible.

I felt a bit desperate actually. And very alone. Alone in the sense that no-one else could do it. I had to do it alone and I wasn't sure I was up to it.

Some of those feelings have resurfaced in the last couple of days as I've been trying to think how to encourage others to improve their eating and exercising habits.

Hence the shocking photos. The first was at my husbands fiftieth birthday party. It was a Hawaiian theme. And you can see I got into the spirit of the occasion. I remember on that night someone said I was very brave. looking back on the photo's I think I more fully understand what they meant.

I had NO idea that I looked like that!!!! In fact I was quite possibly bigger when I weighed in at the dietitian at 109kg.

Now I look at these photos… and yes, I am mortified by the one at the top. Its almost unbearable to have it up there. But it certainly makes the point. So now when I look at them, I think of all the health issues I was having and I know that my body is now working a lot better for me and I'm certainly living healthier and happier.

In that last photo,  (about 14 months after I started this journey) I know a lot of people were worrying that I was getting too skinny. I'm not a small framed person at all, so that was me at 76kg and I too started to worry even though the health professionals were telling me I needed to lose a few more kg's to meet the top of my healthy BMI range….72kg apparently for my height and frame.

I felt quite strongly, however, that I'm not 16 any more, and I didn't think losing any more weight would give me any more health benefit. My diabetes was under control so I added a little more food, and dropped back a bit on the exercise at that point. I weigh a bit more now. But I still eat well and exercise well. My diabetes is still under control.

So yes it wasn't super easy, and not all of it was fun. But with the right attitude it can be a lot easier and a lot less torturous than it has to be. And yes…. if you can work out a way to balance the healthy eating plan to suit you and if you can find an exercise that you enjoy, you can, like me, have plenty of fun along the way.

Part 1 - It's not a diet… it's a modified food intake plan

As promised a conversation about food.

I've not been able to fit everything in at one sitting so Part 1 is the understanding behind what I call my modified food intake plan. Part 2 will deal with how that understanding translates to my what I actually eat.

I'm not a fan of the 'diet'. Over my life I have seen many friends and acquaintances try various sensible and/or non sensical 'diets' and I certainly haven't been inspired by any of them. None of them showed long term success, though some may have had short term results.

My 'modified food intake plan' was 'fairly simple'

Eat less carbohydrate more often

The idea being to reduce my carbohydrate intake, and to spread my carbohydrate intake more evenly over the day.

Where I came from

So instead of having the below which I think is a realistic representation of a general eating plan (though if you cut it in half you can see it's still excessive)

90grams of carbohydrate for breakfast. 

(a bowl of cereal with milk and a couple of slices of toast with jam with a cup of coffee)

100grams of carbohydrate for lunch.

(a round of sandwiches followed by a piece of slice and  a cup tea)

70grams of carbohydrate for afternoon tea

(some biscuits and a cup of coffee)

170grams of carbohydrate for dinner

(spaghetti bolognaise with garlic bread followed by Apple pie, custard and ice-cream)

TOTAL 430 grams of Carbohydrate (my current recommended is 120 grams daily)

Where I was encouraged to go

I was instead encouraged to try to limit my three main meals to a maximum of 30grams of carbohydrate
and to have a 10 to 15 grams of carbohydrate snack mid morning, mid afternoon, and for supper.

I was also encouraged to limit my daily carbohydrate intake to a maximum of 120 grams of carbohydrate.

On top of this….. 45minutes of physically demanding exercise per day.
(bearing in mind my pancreas is already suffering…. for someone who hasn't reached this stage, a much lighter exercise load is still good, so please don't be put off by that 45 minutes)

My simple understanding of why

Now I'm not a medical person, but in trying to make sense of this for myself this is how I understood my situation.

The pancreas is busy processing carbohydrate (a group that includes sugar but is not limited to sugar) breaking it down so my body can use/deal with it.

If I am exercising, in the process of exercising I use carbohydrates thus reducing the work load of the poor pancreas.

If I eat less carbohydrate keeping my intake closer to what my body can actually use, that takes the pressure of my pancreas giving it a lighter workload which hopefully might allow it to recover somewhat, or at least not deteriorate any further.

Spreading that carbohydrate intake more evenly across the day allows the pancreas to work lighter at a more even rate, rather than big bursts of activity (hard work for the pancreas) followed by periods of relative inactivity.

From my understanding too much inactivity is not a good thing for the pancreas when it is in decline as it gets harder for it to 'switch back on' after those periods of inactivity.  This is another good reason to eat small amounts of carbohydrate more regularly, to refrain from long periods without food, and to resist the urge to choose a 'no carb' diet.

A worthwhile exercise prior to Part 2

It's a fairly simple exercise to start reading labels on food products. Packaging in Australia is required to show Carbohydrates…. Total per serve (serving size will be listed at the top of the chart) and total per 100grams. Try going to your pantry and checking out some of your favourites.

I think thats enough info for one day. I know its heavy going, but some understanding of this stuff really helped me to get my head around why I eat what I eat and made it much easier for me to follow the plan.

I promise Part 2 tomorrow (if at all possible)

City to Scarborough Ride - Scenic Route

Today I had a lovely ride to Scarborough from Raphael Park (in Victoria Park) which is a nice easy access point, with parking and toilets, for city riding.

The weather was lovely, though quite chilly this morning (coldest night in Perth so far this winter) so it was a good time for leggings, long sleeves and full gloves…the first time I've felt the need for them this winter.

The rain that had been forecast earlier in the week didn't eventuate, so despite the chill, we had a glorious sunny day for our ride, with no overly significant wind.

I rode with the Perth Over 55's Cycle Club and was early enough to catch the 8am start. Our group (11 people) rode out along the Mitchell Freeway cycle path to Eddystone Drive in Balcatta, and followed North Beach Road out to the beach and then back along the coast to Scarborough.

After a nice "coffee" break at Scarborough Beach we rode south to City Beach and then Rochdale Road, Lake Claremont and across to the river near Bethesda.

After that it was back through Nedlands to then follow the river past the Uni, The Old Swan Brewery, and over the Narrows Bridge tracing the bike path on the South Perth side of the river back to the Causeway and Raphael Park.

It was a lovely ride, averaging about 20km per hour, covering 59 km. Most of the ride was either 'on path' or had a path option, though there were a couple of parts where the road was the only choice…. something I find manageable in a group, but I'm not so keen on when on my own unless it's a really quiet street.

If you think you might be interested in the Perth Over 55's Cycle group you can check them out on http://www.over55cycling.org.au .

That's it for today.

Getting started on your bike

I love riding. And I will talk a lot about riding. But if you are keen to start getting fit, remember that walking is a good basic exercise. You can walk as hard or as gently as you like and you can do it anywhere. And its free (though I would recommend sneakers… as good a pair as you can afford)

But if you want to give riding a go….

One can take months to get organised to go out for a ride. If you make sure you cover every base there is a fair chance you'll never get there. First you'll need a bike and, by law in Australia, a bike helmet. Maybe you have a bike in the back shed. Otherwise try borrowing one not being used by a family member or friend… or if you have the ware withal, buy one. New or Second hand.

Hybrid Bike - tyres usually about 25mm

I started on what's known as a hybrid (your basic bike)… sort of a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike. Mountain bikes have fat tyres for good grip on those unsealed mountain paths, but they work on sealed paths as well. Hybrids have narrower tyres, but still reasonable grip on both sealed and unsealed paths … just not so good in softer sand or really loose gravel. Road bikes have skinnier tyres and are best not taken of the sealed path too much… though depending on the bike and path its possible. The fatter the tyre, the better grip on the road, but the more work to pedal. I found the hybrid good middle ground to start on.

If you already have a bike try working with what you've got to start with.

Two important start up points. Pump up your tyres. (a bike pump is handy for that… about $20 new from bike shop). If they stay up, that is generally considered to be a bonus. Try your brakes. Brakes that work are also considered a bonus. Either back pedal brakes or hand brakes, or if your bike is real fancy, disc brakes. Brakes that don't 'stay on' are also important, as sticky brakes can make riding hard work!

My suggestion (if your tyres were completely flat before you pumped them up) is to leave your bike over night before the first big ride. Alternately only ride a short distance from home so that if your tyre goes flat again fairly quickly, you don't have far to push the bike home.

This is because your tyres could be flat from a long slow leak, or from a not so long slow leak. If your tyre flattens again over night, or on your short ride….or even if its significantly flatter in that period of time, you either have a puncture, or a leaky valve, and you'd be best to sort that out before you go any further.

At this point, if those tyres are staying up, and your brakes work, I would be putting on your helmet, getting on that bike and going for a short ride … even if its only up and down your street. Pay attention to your bike. Is the chain making a lot of metal on metal noise. If so, it may need a lube. If you have gears try changing up and down a couple of gears as you pedal. If they aren't changing, or if its very noisy, again, you may need some lube.

Mountain Bike - tyres  are fatter

Also, are you comfortable on the bike. Your seat may need adjusting up or down. There are guidelines for how to set your seat height, but to start with I would choose what you feel comfortable with. Some bikes have you sitting up fairly straight, and some bikes have you leaning forward at varying degrees over the handlebars. It doesn't really matter, as long as you feel comfortable. If you're not comfortable it could just be unfamiliarity, in which case riding up and down your street, or around the block may help you settle in. If after adjusting your seat and trying some riding you just can't get comfortable, another bike seat or bike style may be for you….

It costs nothing to visit  your local bike shop and talk to them about bike options. You can try different bike styles…. i.e mountain bike, hybrid and road to see if one suits you better. Usually they are happy for you to ride around in the parking lot to see how the bike works for you. This may help you figure out what bike to buy….. but it will also be helpful to work out what might be good to try and borrow from someone else, or what to try and purchase second hand.

Of course if you're cashed up, you may end up with a new bike. Usually I find it wise to think about purchases at least over night before making a decision. So after looking at all these lovely new bikes it is perfectly acceptable to say "Thank you so much for your help. You have given me much food for thought. I will go home and consider my options"…. even if that option is 'I won't be buying a new bike'.

Okay, so if your tyres are staying up, your brakes work, you are feeling comfortable enough on your bike, and your chain and gears seem to be good…. then you are ready for a ride. I'd advise shortish rides to start with. Maybe a circuit around your suburb that you can repeat as often as you like with only a short ride home when you are 'stuffed' or your legs are crying out for a break. If you over do it, you may never ride again!!! And the idea is that this become a regular source of enjoyable exercise.

Is there a nice path nearby. There are a lot of areas around perth like Carine Open Space with nice paths for gentle riding. There are lovely rides along the river, and a fabulous path along our coast stretching from Burns Beach (up near Joondalup) to south of Fremantle. Also plenty of paths following the train lines. So explore…. close to home to start with, and venture further afield as your leg muscles and confidence improves.

Road Bike - tyres 19mm

If, however, your bike is not making the right noises, the tyre is flattening again, or brakes are not right you will need some maintenance. If you are not confident doing this stuff yourself you may know someone you  could ask to have a look at your bike. I'm a farm girl and reasonably confident, but I was still a little nervous with this sort of stuff. So asking someone for help, talking to the fellow at your local bike shop, or taking your bike in for a service would be your next option.

Your local bike shop does a service for between $60 to $100 ish (ask) and if the bike hasn't had a birthday for a long time giving it a service is not a bad idea. They will fix the flat for you at no more than the cost of a tube ($6 to $10ish) and give the brakes, gears etc a once over. While at the bike shop its a good idea to purchase a bottle of lube, a spare tube, and a puncture repair kit. None of these items are expensive … it might set you back $30 but will be well worth while. Short of knowing how to do it yourself, having the necessary's to do it will be the next best thing. That way at least if some friendly passerby is willing to help they will have something to work with.

Well…. I'm off for a ride myself. Maybe I'll pass you on the bike path in a day or two…. wouldn't that be nice.

A little incentive to try a little fitness in your life

Hello again.

After much thought about what to say next I went back to when I was first told I was on the brink of being Type 2 Diabetic. I had two choices….. a major lifestyle change with diet and exercise…. or medication. As I have an abhorrence for taking medication… (another story for another day) my first choice had to be to try the 'lifestyle change'. But as I hadn't 'exercised' for many years, and as pretty much my whole diet was 'diabetic unfriendly' (according to the dietician they sent me to) I knew it would be a significant challenge for me.

The Dietician put me on a strict eating plan (which I'll talk about another day), and sent me away with instructions that I must do 45 minutes a day of 'heart pumping' exercise…. not just a stroll along the beach, but active, sweaty, heavy breathing stuff!!! This plan was to save my body from diabetes. The diet change was to stop bombarding my pancreas with heavy doses of carbohydrate and give it a chance to recover (or at least to not stop working altogether) and the exercise change was to burn carbohydrates with exercise which would also save my pancreas from having to do all the hard work. (this is my simple understanding of it all).

So all this diet and exercise was not with the intention of making me lose weight but rather, to improve my health!! But the dietician did say to me that weight loss would be a side effect of this new lifestyle.

I had weighed in at 109kg, so losing a bit of weight did have a certain appeal. The negative health issues associated with diabetes did not have any appeal.  Avoiding those negative health issues had all the appeal in the world.

And so my journey began.

But before you get put off by that 45 minutes, before you start thinking "this is extreme and just not for me" just remember that any reasonable exercise that your body can sustain is good for you. If you set yourself a goal of 15 minutes, and if all you can manage is a 'stroll'. Do it. After a while you'll notice that 15 minutes getting a little easier, you'll go a little further or a little faster. It will happen. Better to pick a sustainable goal and then build on it, than to make yourself so miserable that you give up.

Without a significant health issue to kick start my move towards a healthier lifestyle I probably wouldn't have gone there….!!! But how much better to set up that routine before you need something so extreme. Perhaps if I'd been doing 15 minutes a day, or an hour two days a week…. perhaps then I wouldn't have these health issues!!

Starting small is vastly underrated.

Remember that saying. "How do you eat an elephant?…. One bite at a time!"